[Something sparks in Tifa's expression at the name, widened eyes snapping up to stare at Aerith as the mention of Zack dredges up old memories that she had long since buried deep, deep within her and her mind is suddenly racing a thousand thoughts a second. She remembers the reactor, the smell of the mako, the cold steel across her chest, and the heat of the fire on her skin...
For a moment, she feels like she'd stopped breathing, like all the air in her lungs had been sucked out of her, and Tifa drowns it by throwing a large sip back of her wine, draining every last drop in an attempt to drown those memories out.
... ]
You haven't talked about him.
[But it is a very surprising coincidence that she knew him, too... Tifa doesn't want to linger on the topic of Zack though, and steers it away, filling her teacup with more wine first.
What Aerith says doesn't sit quite right with Tifa. She knew she was a Cetra, but... she doesn't think that's so complicated that she can't be happy with someone else?]
What do you mean, it's complicated? Aerith...? Is there something you're not telling me?
[Everything is about this place and their presence in it. It sounds like a poor excuse to her... Still, her voice remains calm despite the small cracks that remain in it while she patiently waits for Aerith to open up, but the lump of dread in her throat is growing with every passing thought. She's always had that feeling—intuition—that there was more to Aerith than she was letting on. More than just being a Cetra, and that was all but confirmed the night they stood in front of that rift in time, when Aerith spoke those eerie words that Tifa was almost convinced weren't her own.]
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For a moment, she feels like she'd stopped breathing, like all the air in her lungs had been sucked out of her, and Tifa drowns it by throwing a large sip back of her wine, draining every last drop in an attempt to drown those memories out.
... ]
You haven't talked about him.
[But it is a very surprising coincidence that she knew him, too... Tifa doesn't want to linger on the topic of Zack though, and steers it away, filling her teacup with more wine first.
What Aerith says doesn't sit quite right with Tifa. She knew she was a Cetra, but... she doesn't think that's so complicated that she can't be happy with someone else?]
What do you mean, it's complicated? Aerith...? Is there something you're not telling me?
[Everything is about this place and their presence in it. It sounds like a poor excuse to her... Still, her voice remains calm despite the small cracks that remain in it while she patiently waits for Aerith to open up, but the lump of dread in her throat is growing with every passing thought. She's always had that feeling—intuition—that there was more to Aerith than she was letting on. More than just being a Cetra, and that was all but confirmed the night they stood in front of that rift in time, when Aerith spoke those eerie words that Tifa was almost convinced weren't her own.]